Chesapeake, Virginia (VA) medical malpractice lawyer Rick Shapiro explains the difference between anesthesia errors and other forms of medical malpractice. The key difference is that you did not choose your anesthesiologist. You chose your doctor. You chose your OB/GYN. But an anesthesiologist typically just shows up and is tasked with completing intubation for your surgery. If anesthesia is administered in a overly high dose, it can adversely affect your heartbeat, breathing, and other bodily functions. In addition, a local anesthesia mistake can cause nerve damage if it is injected too close to a nerve or spinal cord.